INSIGHTS & NOTES FROM
CHAPTER 23
"It is the duty of Christians to encourage themselves in the Lord their God; & we are here directed to take that encouragement both from the relation wherein he stands to us & from the experience we have had of his goodness according to that relation." "If God be as a shepherd to us, we must be as sheep, inoffensive, meek & quiet, silent before the shearers, nay, & before the butcher too, useful & sociable; we must know the shepherd's voice, & follow him." "'I shall be supplied with whatever I need: &, if I have not every thing I desire, I may conclude it is either not fit for me or not good for me, or I shall have it in due time." "We have the supports & comforts of this life from God's good hand, our daily bread from him as our Father." "Those that feed on God's goodness must follow his direction; he leads them by his providence, by his word, by his Spirit" "God provides for his people not only food & rest, but refreshment also & pleasure. The consolations of God, the joys of the Holy Ghost, are these still waters, by which the saints are led, streams which flow from the fountain of living waters & make glad the city of our God." "Though God may suffer his people to fall into sin, he will not suffer them to lie still in it." "Many a time we should have fainted unless we had believed; & it was the good shepherd that kept us from fainting." "...I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" "...they shall not be lost in this valley, but get safely to the mountain of spices on the other side of it." "Death is a king of terrors, but not to the sheep of Christ" "A child of God may meet the messengers of death & receive its summons with a holy security & serenity of mind." "...death cannot separate us from the love of God, & therefore it can do us no real harm; it kills the body, but cannot touch the soul." "The gospel is called the rod of Christ's strength (ex. 2), & there is enough in that to comfort the saints when they come to die, & underneath them are the everlasting arms." "...goodness & mercy, all the streams of mercy flowing from the fountain, pardoning mercy, protecting mercy, sustaining mercy, supplying mercy." "...it shall follow into all places & all conditions, shall be always ready." "We must dwell in his house as servants, that desired to have their ears bored to the door-post, to serve him for ever." "Those that would be satisfied with the fatness of God's house must keep close to the duties of it." CHAPTER 24 "All the parts & regions of the earth are the Lord's, all under his eye, all in his hand; so that, wherever a child of God goes, he may comfort himself with this, that he does not go off his Father's ground." "...we should be content with our allotment in this world, & not envy others theirs;" "The hands lifted up in prayer must be pure hands, no blot of unjust gain cleaving to them, nor any thing else that defiles the man & is offensive to the holy God." "That is a pure heart which is sincere & without guile in covenanting with God, which is carefully guarded, that the wicked one, the unclean spirit, touch it not, which is purified by faith, & conformed to the image & will of God;" "Those that have no regard to the obligations of truth or the honour of God's name are unfit for a place in God's holy hill." "Let the word of the Lord come into the innermost & uppermost place in our souls;" "It is required that the gates & doors of the heart be opened to him, not only as admission is given to a guest, but as possession is delivered in the rightful owner" "...it is at our peril if we deny him entrance" CHAPTER 25 "In worhipping God we must lift up our souls to him. Prayer is the ascent of the soul to God;" "With a holy contempt of the world & the things of it, by a fixed thought & active faith, we must set God before us, & let out our desires towards him as the fountain of our happiness." "Those are best taught who understand their duty, & know the good things they should do. Ecclesiastes 2:3." "Christ is both the way & the truth, & therefore we must learn Christ." "If God save us, he will teach us & lead us." "When God pardons sin he is said to remember it no more, ...he forgives & forgets." "It is God's goodness & not ours, his mercy & not our own merit, that must be our plea for the pardon of sin & all the good we stand in need of." "We may... depend upon God's promises; for good & upright is the Lord, & therefore he will be as good as his word." "Faithful is he who hath promised, who also will do it." "The devil leads men blindfolded to hell, but God enlightens men's eyes, sets things before them in a true light, & so leads them to heaven." "If we choose wisely, God will give us grace to walk wisely." "Those that have their eye ever towards God shall not have their feet long in the net." "Men of the greatest merits would be undone if they had not to do with a God of infinite mercies." "Integrity & uprightness will be a man's preservation more than the wealth & honour of the world can be." CHAPTER 26 "It is a comfort to those who are falsely accused that there is a righteous God, who, sooner or later, will clear up their innocency" "God knows every man's true character, for he knows the thoughts & intents of the heart, & sees through every disguise." "Those certainly walk well that are followers of God as dear children." "We must not only in our practice, avoid bad company, but in our principles & affections we must have an aversion to it." "All God's people will be sure to wait on God's altar, in obedience to his commands & in pursuance of his favour." "Those who love communion with God, & delight in approaching to him, find it to be a constant pleasure, a comfortable evidence of their integrity, & a comfortable earnest of their endless felicity." "Those that will not be companions with sinners in their mirth, nor eat of their dainties, may in faith pray not to be companions with them in their misery, nor to drink of their cup, their cup of trembling." "Those that hate the congregation of evil-doers shall be joined to the congregation of the righteous & join with them in praising God; & it is pleasant doing that in good company; the more the better; it is the more like heaven." Matthew Henry's Commentary: Job To Song Of Solomon, Mac Donald, pgs. 316 - 330.
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AuthorCross Preaching Pentecostal Pastor. Husband to Tonia, Father to 3 beautiful girls, Monica, Zoe & Briana, & Grandfather to Wesley & Elliott Archives
September 2023
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